The worst part? Sophia didn't actually tell me what she wanted me to do for the money.

"When the time comes, you'll know"

That was what she had said. What the hell did that mean? Would it be today? Tomorrow? Next week? I wished I could just get it over with, claim the money, and sign out today.

But no, my life was to proceed as originally planned. I must have had a blank look on my face as Celeste dressed me for my first tour day. I couldn't keep my mind from darting from one detail to the other trying to uncover any piece of information I may have missed that could shed some light on her goals.

"Are you alright?" Celeste asked pulling me out of my trance. She was holding the white mid-length dress she'd chosen for me for the day.

Noticing the worried expression on her face, I reassured her with a smile, "I'm fine".

I took a deep breath and watched my half-naked reflection in the mirror do the same. I welcomed the help as Celeste held the dress for me to step into and brought it up and over my chest. My sole task was only to pass my arms through the short-sleeve holes.

We'd done this dance enough times to know there was no need to demand independence.

Next came the makeup that she purposefully kept very light but sophisticated. I watched her as she carefully and expertly worked.

I didn't have many friends here if any at all. I was surrounded by people I either couldn't trust or those who couldn't trust me. Other than Nick and the girl that was currently painting my face, there weren't any others I could really count on if it came to it.

"You're coming with me today, right?" I asked and hoped.

She nodded after applying a few more touches to my face.

"I'll be there the whole time, don't worry" she answered.

That reassured me a bit but in truth, I was still worried, and not just because of Princess Sophia's proposition. Nick and I were about to have our first public appearance. We would need to convince the entire nation that we were in fact in love and to make it worse, there were all the cameras that would be eager to catch even the slightest slip.

Celeste made a press then pucker motion with her lips and signaled for me to do the same. I followed and felt the cool liquid spread evenly across my lips. When she was satisfied, she returned with her brushes to make the finishing touches leaving my mind to wonder some more.

Even worse was the fact that I didn't only have myself to worry about. I had to babysit Nick as well and make sure he wouldn't go off script like he did at the ball.

At least I wasn't too worried about myself. With the way I'd been feeling recently, something told me it wouldn't be too hard to pretend to adore Nick.

Celeste took a step back and admired her work before stepping aside to give me a clear view of my reflection in the mirror.

I'd gotten used to the girl that stared back. Previously I would have been taken aback by how pretty she was but now, I only admired what looked to be Celeste's best work yet.

"What do you think?" she asked me.

I shrugged, "Pretty good".

=^..^=

As much as I tried, I couldn't stop gawking at Celeste when she returned to my room wearing normal people's clothes. I couldn't get over how normal she looked. Gone was the drab uniform and in its place, a beautiful orange, tiered dress. While she still wore her hair up, the usual bun was replaced with a ponytail which resulted in her looking much more like any girl her age and more importantly, from this century.

"You look beautiful, Celeste" I complimented her.

"Thank you" she blushed.

It seemed to me that the royal household preferred for us to look like friends as opposed to master and servant which suited me perfectly. I'd have to ask for this to be the norm moving forward.

"The procession is waiting. We should go" She informed me.

"Procession?" I asked, "What do you mean by that?"

=^..^=

Turns out she'd meant exactly as she'd said it. Walking through the castle gardens in my pretty dress, the convoy slowly came into view as we neared the car park.

5 cars and a whole lot of security had been assembled just for Nick and me. I would later find out that this was actually a conservative approach compared to the King's trips.

The first one was a very serious vehicle that looked like it could take a big hit and come out unscathed.

It was followed by two luxurious SUVs. I spotted Nick standing right next to the first one having what looked to be an intense discussion with Percy. Neither of them had noticed me yet.

The final two vehicles were identical SUVs, the only noticeable difference being one had an antenna.

I tried to listen in but apparently even while they had their heated discussion, their voices were still hushed. I couldn't make out whatever had them both so worked up.

Percy turned and spotted me before signaling to Nick who turned and expertly cleared every last bit of tension from his face.

"There you are" he smiled brightly almost in an exaggerated manner before walking up to me.

Before I could get a word in, he pulled me close and planted a firm kiss on my lips that made me squirm.

"Save some of that for the road" I managed as soon as our lips parted.

"Don't worry, there's plenty where that came from" he replied.

I forced a smile. It seemed it was already showtime. It hadn't dawned on me that we'd be putting on the show for the guards and staff as well. I'd expected to have some more time to get my game face on but no such luck.

I kissed him again after noticing the quiet stares from all who were present.

"Excited?" I asked.

"Of course, there are so many places I want to show you"

He genuinely seemed excited but I couldn't be sure if that was really the case or if he was just being a good actor.

He took my hand and led me back towards Percy who'd remained by the cars. I guessed I wouldn't have to worry about his act after all.

"Long time no see, Percy" I teased. "Where have you been? You missed the ball. I even saved a dance for you"

He grunted, "Unfortunately, I had business to attend to".

"Surely not more important than me" I pouted.

"We should get going" He moved and opened the car door, holding it open "We're on a schedule".

Always so serious.

=^..^=

Just like we'd done during our arrival, Percy occupied the front seat while Nick and I occupied the back. There were still times when I wondered whether I'd made the right decision accepting this job but riding in style like I was now, how could it have been anything but the right decision?

We rode mostly in silence as we cleared the massive forest that surrounded the castle. Soon we were back on the capital streets and I allowed myself to drink in the sights.

Clean streets, large buildings, magnificent monuments and statues but so few people in sight.

"Where is everybody?" I whispered to Nick.

"These are the government reserved areas" he leaned in to say.

"Government reserved areas?"

"The capital city has GRAs separate from residential areas so you probably won't meet that many people except those with a pass"

"So the people can't come here?" I asked puzzled.

"Not without a reason" he answered matter of factly, "But I mean there's really no reason to anyway. It's mostly just government buildings"

"But it's so pretty" I protested. There were so many wonderful structures to look at. What was the point of having all this here if no one got to see it?

"They could always get a pass," Nick explained. "I don't think they're that hard to get anyway"

I didn't have any more to say so I let it go. It wasn't really my concern anyway.

=^..^=

The tour turned out to be fairly uneventful. The convoy would make its way to a building or landmark of significance to the Lenorian people and there we'd be bombarded by paparazzi and a thousand lights.

Nick who seemed used to the treatment helped me through it. Mostly, he did that by holding me close which was part of our job anyway. Sometimes, he'd lead me by my hand, other times I'd hold onto his arm.

At each location, some man or woman would be there to pass along information about the site while pictures were taken. A lot of the history was boring but some of it was very fascinating.

One that caught my attention was a golden statue of a revered man they explained was King Emeric, Nick's great grandfather who emerged victorious from the 8-year civil war. His victory kept Lenoria an absolute monarchy, a status that hadn't been challenged since.

Another interesting part of the tour was our visit to the Royal Army headquarters where I received a proper military welcome. Well Nick did, I was just along for the ride by his side.

That part was very eye-opening. They were all muscular and extremely well-built, a lot of them even dwarfed Nick who wasn't small by any means. I would have welcomed the shame of being outclassed by other men but that never came. I didn't feel inferior because I now felt different from them. I no longer felt the need to compare myself to them.

During our mingling, Nick received a salute from a young man that must have been fairly important because Nick parted from me for the first time today to hug him.

They were all smiles as they exchanged pats on the back. Only when they were finished did Nick turn back to introduce us.

"Amelia, this is my old friend Corvus" Nick started. I outstretched my arm for a shake before I had the chance to think it through. "Corvus, this is Amelia".

Corvus took my hand but only to lean in and kiss it.

"Lovely to meet you, Amelia" His voice was deep with a rich flavor.

I nodded slightly at him. "Nice to meet you" I smiled.

"The pictures don't do you justice" Corvus added as soon as our hands parted.

"Careful with this one" Nick cautioned "he's a charmer" I managed another smile.

Corvus laughed "Nicholas, those days are behind me. I'm married now. You'd have known that if you'd been around"

"Really? Congratulations! Who's the lucky girl?" Nick seemed genuinely happy for him.

"Remember Eloise?"

"How could I forget, how'd you manage that?"

"Ah, you know me..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Carter of all people. He was hard to miss as he was the only one not wearing the Lenorian Army uniform. He did look quite handsome in that two-piece suit.

"I'll let you two catch up," I said with a smile after touching Nick's arm lightly. He nodded his approval.

I made my way through the small crowd.

"Mr. Sinclair? What are you doing here?" I asked him as soon as I got in range.

"I work here, I should be asking you the same" he answered.

"I'm on tour, which you know. Are you following me?" I smiled.

"Guilty. How could I not when you stormed off so quickly last night?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Something came up"

"Trouble in paradise?" He gestured over to Nick who was now in an even more animated discussion with Corvus.

"What? No" I said abruptly.

"Relax, I'm only teasing. Anyway, you should go" he glanced around the room, "We shouldn't be seen together"

Desperate for a dance yesterday, shooing me away today?

"What do you do for the Army?" I probed.

"Top secret, I'm afraid. Now run along, I'm sure there's someone that needs your attention more than me"

Awkwardly, he didn't even wait for my response, he just turned and left. Weird.

I entertained small talk with those who worked up the courage to talk to me until Nick returned.

"Have fun?" I asked.

"Corvus invited us out on his boat. A kind of double date. I said yes" Nick informed me.

"Aren't we busy?" I asked. It sounded fun but I'd rather not put too much on my plate at once. "I have the interview tomorrow and there's another tour coming up"

"We'll make time" Was his response.

=^..^=

We made a stop at the King's residence in the city before the final item on our schedule for the day. The large residence was used by the royal family during extended excursions into the city so it struck me as odd that it was so fully staffed for what was essentially a second home.

After the convoy completed the short drive from the gate and parked in front of the house, the first thing I noticed was the row of maids and butlers standing at the main entrance with their heads bowed. And they remained so even as we made our way passed them and into the residence.

A woman I assumed to be in charge led Celeste and I into a room where we'd be changing. A pretty bedroom but mostly bare. For guests, I assumed.

The final item on our schedule was apparently a ballet show choreographed with elements of Lenorian culture and for some reason unknown to me, demanded a change of clothes.

Celeste got right to work unveiling a gold satin cocktail gown that made my current outfit look painfully simple.

Naturally, Celeste helped me into my dress and touched up my makeup but I was caught off guard when she nonchalantly asked me to help her unzip her dress.

"Umm.." I was confused by the request. She'd been freer with me lately but this was entirely new.

Still, I slowly made my way behind her and gently undid the zipper just as she'd asked.

When she pulled one of the dress sleeves off her shoulder, I quickly turned around which caused her to chuckle.

I heard her shuffle with the dress behind me which was my signal to leave.

"You don't have to go" I heard her say which effectively stopped me in my tracks.

What was happening? Did she like me? What could she be proposing? That we be intimate?

I peeked behind me to see that she was standing only in her underwear and turned back to face the door. I'd been in that exact state of undress only a moment ago. I'd somehow gotten used to being undressed around her, I hadn't realized just how weird and unusual it actually was.

"We're friends right?" she asked. "Even more than that, you're almost like one of my sisters now"

"Sure we're friends but still it's wrong for me to see you like that," I said without turning.

"Why?"

"I'm a man"

"It doesn't feel like that"

'I am' I thought to myself but didn't respond. I took another step and reached for the door handle.

"I'm glad I was assigned to you" I heard Celeste say just as I was leaving.

=^..^=

I returned to the living room to meet Nick and Percy dressed smartly in their evening attires.

"You look pretty," Nick said as I approached.

I curtsied playfully. "You don't look too bad yourself" I replied.

"High praise" he smiled then surprised me by pulling me onto the couch beside him.

There were only two other guards in the room so this was wholly unnecessary. When he placed a palm on my lap, I just had to speak up.

"It's just us. You don't have to" I whispered to him.

"Just staying in character" he replied.

"Do we need to talk about Charles?" I asked. He only shook his head in response.

I hated the idea of him. Charles. Even if outwardly, Nick pretended to be all about me and honestly he was doing a pretty good job of it, I knew I wasn't who he really wanted.

Nick would want nothing more than to be on this tour with Charles. I was just a means to an end for him. I knew that from the start so why did it bother me so much now? Especially since that kiss in the garden.

I was Nick's duty. Charles was his desire.

"You've both done really well today" Percival commended us from his chair across the room. "Our arrival at the ballet will be the final test, but make sure not to let your guard down at any point during the show. There may still be cameras".

When Nick nodded his acknowledgment, so did I.

=^..^=

True to his word, our arrival was a test. A red carpet covered the entire distance from the car to the theater entrance with paparazzi on either side. As usual, Nick exited first and then held a hand to assist me.

I was grateful for the help. The high heels I paired with the outfit brought me a lot closer to my boyfriend's height but left me severely lacking stability as a consequence.

The flashes were disorienting and almost blinding in the night sky so I relied entirely on Nick to be our navigator. I simply focused on maintaining the smile Lenoria had come to know and hopefully love, because it would be plastered all over the papers tomorrow morning.

Inside, the theatergoers gathered in what I could only refer to as a lobby to mingle before the night's performances began. In expected fashion, I was fawned over by those who wished to get a word in with me and those who were perfectly content with a sighting alone.

Unlike last night's ball, though which was exclusively for the aristocracy, tonight's gathering was opened to those of humbler births who were able to afford the exorbitant prices of the tickets. And so as you may expect, being in the presence of the Prince and I sent them into a frenzy.

As I reveled in my own newfound celebrity status, I was introduced to an actual celebrity. A woman they all referred to as Miss Penelope. A misleading title due to her advanced age.

Miss Penelope was a figure skating champion who represented Lenoria internationally with great success. She seemed to be very well respected which was particularly impressive since she was technically a commoner. If she had been a man, the King would probably have given her a title. Unfortunately, her only husband died before her successes and she'd never remarried.

"Miss Penelope, it is wonderful to make your acquaintance," I said respectfully.

She clicked her tongue, "Americans are always where they don't belong"

"Sorry?" I turned around to see if anyone had heard what she'd just said but no one paid us any mind.

"Go home child, before you hurt yourself"

"Umm..." I stood there confused. I'd been expecting an enlightening discussion with a legend but she was clearly in no mood for conversation.

"Go home," she said again before walking off to join another conversation.

=^..^=

Thankfully, I was able to get that encounter out of my head before we took our seats in the VIP booths of the grand theater. One by one the performers took to the stage and expertly began their routine.

To be honest, I understood little of their presentation but I could appreciate the level of skill it demanded as they balanced on pointe and spun with calculated grace.

I was mostly just happy that the cameras were finally off me and focused on the stage. Contrary to Percy's suggestion earlier, I felt I could finally relax after what had been an activity-filled day. I couldn't wait for the night to be over to return to the castle for some much-needed rest.

I'd been able to keep my mind off Sophia's request but of course, it wasn't going to go away just because I hadn't been thinking about it.

I looked to Nick, Percy, and Celeste who shared the booth with me. They all seemed engrossed in the presentation. I focused on Nick who looked to be enjoying the show.

Should I have told him about my conversation with Sophia? What good would that bring? She hadn't asked me to do anything yet. No, it was best to...

My train of thought was interrupted by murmurs coming from around the theater. I looked for the source amidst the dark venue. Soon I received my answer when I spotted a man running from his seat down the theater steps and onto the stage.

Understandably, this halted the presentation as all eyes were now focused on the man who now commandeered the entire right section of the stage.

Was this all part of the show? The dancers looked terrified as they ran behind the curtain and out of sight.

"DETHRONE THE TYRANT KING!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"DETHRONE THE TYRANT KING!" he screamed again.

I spotted guards approaching the stage and so did he.

"DETHRONE THE TYRANT KING!" Over and over again as he ran to the far side of the stage.

Two, then three, then five guards converged on the stage.

"DETHRONE THE TYRANT KING!"

We all watched in disbelief at the scenes. It didn't take long for them to corner and take him into custody.

"DETHRONE THE TYRANT KING!"

Even as they dragged him off behind the curtains, he continued:

"DETHRONE THE TYRANT KING!"

=^..^=

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Happy New Year everyone!

We're back! Can't wait for you to read the rest. Let me know what you think so far.